This industry is really going somewhere and will be the one to watch over the next few years. Since being developed in the 1980’s more and more manufacturing companies are using 3 D printing in their processes. Research in the US shows that the industry was worth $3.07 B in 2013 and is expected to rise to $12.08 B in 2018 and by 2020 the worldwide revenue will be $21 B.
Printing has moved on from flat sheets of paper to a process that enables you to produce complex, functional shapes but uses less materials than traditional manufacturing methods and innovations are being developed all the time in the use of colour and different materials. The most common material at the moment is plastic, but research and use of metal is coming up fast on its heels.
You start by creating a 3D imagine on your computer by using a Computer Aided Design (CAD). This is via a 3D modelling software package, then with the aid of a 3D scanner you will be able to create a digital copy of an object. Once you have produced your image it has to be prepared or sliced before it can be printed. Slicing is dividing the model into thin horizontal layers and is done with slicing software. When it’s sliced, it’s fed into a 3D printer via USB, SD or WI-FI and its ready to be printed using a 3D printer and form a solid image.
If you are just starting out, a 3D starter kit is a good place to get you underway and can be bought easily on the internet.
Some industries such as the aerospace, car manufacturing, aviation, construction and design industries have been using 3D printing for years. Exciting new products are being produced and developed all the time, one company is developing a house that can be printed in 24 hours, and in the fashion industry, clever designers are producing 3D printing to design your own jacket, and have it printed and posted with the click of a button.
3D print technology is set totally revolutionize almost every major manufacturing industry and will change the way we live and work. Companies will soon be able to do their own manufacturing by-passing trade companies. It’s certainly a massive growth industry.